Weekend Getaways near Delhi

Claridges Surajkund Conference

2009-10-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

          Just back from organising a conference at a new 5 star hotel near Delhi-The Claridges Surajkund, a lovely Business cum leisure hotel. Very nicely located on the Shooting range road near the Surajkund lake, a very green and quiet area. The Claridges hotel has about 200+ rooms with most of them overlooking the Courtyard with a beautiful lawn and a spectacular Dancing fountain with burning fires making it a treat to watch. The staff was very professional and since we were handling the top 11 executives of a big telecom company I was a little nervous about the services. The check in was handed expertly and even all the arrangements were as required. We were using one of the smaller halls the 'Cilantro' and the place had an excellent pre function area for lunch, tea etc.
          The rooms at Claridges Surajkund are just too good with even the base category rooms being about 400sq feet with all the facilities like 42 inch LCD, a sofa to relax apart from the king size or twin beds. There is a tea/coffee maker and an electronic safe for the guests. There is a separate work desk if you want to do some written work. The bathrooms have both a bathtub and a glass shower cubicle with premium bathroom amenities. You also have wifi and interactive web tv along with 24 hour room service. The Courtyard rooms are even better with a huge balcony and overlooking the central courtyard. even the balcony has a set of chairs and a recliner.
   Coming to the Food and Beverage section, the multi cuisine section provides a great range of dishes along with a cold section served on the central verge of a table with ice cubes keeping things cool. There is also a Blue bar with a choice collection of hard liquor and some of the best wines available in India. The meal I had was the breakfast when the choice of fruits, confectionery, cold meats etc left one spoilt for choice.
           The hotel is also promoting special Weekend Packages for couples and family which being introductory packages(bound to go up soon) are definitely a steal.

Romantic Package for Couple

2days & 1 Nite in deluxe room @ Rs.9999/- includes-

    * Welcome drink on arrival
    * Upgrade to room with private balcony facing central courtyard (subject to availability)
    * Bottle of wine and special chef amenities in room
    * Cocktails at Bluebar 2030 – 2130 hours(pouring brands, 2 drinks per person)
    * Evening Tea set up in the balcony (1730 – 1830 hours). Choice of Earl Grey, Darjeeling    High Elevation, Assam High Elevation, Green tea
    * Candle light dinner at the courtyard
    * After meal drink
    * Movies on demand
    * Brunch at Oasis on Sunday 1100 to 1500 hours
    * Couple massage
    * Late check out till 1600 hrs.

Also available the Family Package for 2 adults and 2 children below 12 years

I think Claridges Surajkund is a perfect place to hold a conference or just spend a lazy weekend. One can even hop over for 2 nights stay straight from office on Friday as it is just 30 mins from South Delhi and one hour from Gurgaon/Noida.

Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.
More one nite options around Delhi

R.Anand

Classic Hilltop Chamba Uttaranchal

2009-10-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

Visited Chamba, Uttaranchal with a group of about 50 people for a leisure group. Started in the night on two 27 seaters and the driver was good but the roads not too good, still we were there in about 8 hours, which is good time. The Delhi-Haridwar Highway is being four laned and you have to constantly switch between single and double roads, but I think things will be much better shortly as construction is complete. The route is via Merrut, Muzzafarnagar, Haridwar, Rishikesh and Narendernagar. We were staying at the Classic Hilltop Chamba, which is literally at the top of a hill and at least 200m above in height from the Mussoorie-Chamba road. The first thing that strikes you as you hit the place is the wonderful view of the snow capped peaks of Himalayas giving you and almost 180 degree view of these wonderful natural precipices. You can see Yamunotri, Nanda Devi, Gangotri and more. The view from the lawns is fantastic and having tea at these lawns was as great a welcome as it gets. The weather in middle September was just perfect, not too cold and not warm in the day. Chamba is about 50k from Mussoorie

The rooms at Classic Chamba are comfortable and some of them give the same view. The breakfast was refreshing and the group were given some free time to recuperate. Post lunch we headed for the Tehri Dam about 15 km away. The Dam, which has been recently commissioned, is important to the whole of North India for it’s electricity generation and irrigation. The whole of Tehri town was submerged to make a reservoir for the dam, the depth of the reservoir is more than a km and the view from the Gallery of the two rivers merging is seen to be believed.

In the evening we had a poolside party with DJ where various games and dance were organized and the whole group including the children enjoyed it a lot. Next day we traveled to Dhanaulti/Dhanolti which is about 22 km from Chamba. Dhanolti is an un spoilt hill station with lovely views and thick Deodar forests with green meadows. There is an eco park at Dhanaulti giving an insight to vegetation of the area and it is great place to relax and visit. One can also stop at Kanatal on the way to Dhanauti. On the way back we stopped at Haridwar, Har Ki Paudi where most guests took a dip in the holy Ganges. So Chamba, Uttaranchal turned out to be a perfect leisure destination with great weather, lots of thing to and not too far from Delhi.

Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages and group tours to Chamba,Mussoorie or Kanatal.

R.Anand,

Around Delhi

Mussoorie Hotels Claridges Nabha

2009-10-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

                            Had a fantastic time last weekend at Claridges Nabha, Mussoorie with family. I have never been too fond of Mussoorie because of too much commercialisation and concretisation of this hill
station. Lots of construction and deforestation had left the hill station, the Queen of Hills as a barren lot. The last few years has seen a sea change in this place with a bar on all new construction leading to a revival in greenery and better weather and rains to Mussoorie. This Monsoon the city had an excellent downpour and it had turned wonderfully green as we reached it in mid October of '09. Even the highway route to Mussoorie via Merrut, Khatauli, Muzzafarnagar, Roorkee and Dehradun is on improving as four laning is going on at most of the places along the highway. Once complete I think this will lead to decrease in time take to reach Mussoorie (presently 7-8hrs).
                              We were staying at the Claridges Nabha, Mussoorie, the only Claridges hotel outside the NCR region. Claridges Nabha is a heritage property and the old residence of Mahraja of Nabha about 4 km from Mall Road, Mussoorie. The place is a heaven when you compare it to the hulla-gulla of the Mall Road, Mussoorie as it is surrounded by dense Cedar forests and immaculate gardens. Nabha Mussoorie is a small place with 21 rooms, a mixture of deluxe and Duplex rooms. It was just wonderful to stroll in the dense forest area around the place with a nice and cool breeze just about feeling the chill. The deluxe rooms are with a sitout area and some of them face the jungle. The Duplex rooms are for a family of 2 adults and 2 children with a master bed and two single beds in the attic. The radiation warmer keeps you warm in the winter as the temperature turns freezing outside. The hotel provides free transfers to the Mall and it becomes convenient as you do not have to search for parking around the Mall Mussoorie, so we took this facility and visited the Mall in the afternoon.
                         There are various hotels on the Mall road,Mussoorie like Hotel Silver Rock, Shiva, Green Castle etc along with a lot of places to eat like the wonderful confectionary shops, Dominoes, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista and some good Chinese/Tibetan outlets with authentic Chinese & Tibetan food like Kasrang etc.We also tried the trolly which takes you to the Gun Hill which affords wonderful views of the surrounding area along with snow capped peaks of Himalayas. The peaks view was blocked by the clouds but still the surrounding view was worth the visit. One can also see the snow capped view from the Camels back road or the Himalaya facing rooms of Silver Rock or Shiva. In the evening the view of the Doon Valley with thousands of shimmering lights is just superb. Around Mussoorie one can also visit Kempty falls, Dhanolti and Yamuna bridge beyond Kempty. I am sure you too will experience the change for the better in Mussoorie on your next visit.

Need a place to stay in Mussoorie call Seema @ 9891458220 or Anand @ 9811193634 for options and bookings.

R.Anand

Delhi-Rishikesh rafting trip

2009-10-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

We at Around Delhi are organizing an all inclusive trip for rafting at Rishikesh end of October for 3N/3D. Just book, pack your bags and leave rest everything to us. Just enjoy a wonderful rafting and camping adventure trip on the beautiful White sands of Rishikesh at the banks of the Ganges.

About the Camp 5 Elements, Byasi,Rishikesh
Run by the Leisure Hotels the camp the rafting camp in Rishikesh offers serene and rejuvenating environment. The Camp is indeed the most scenic, secluded & romantic beach camp on the Ganges. Sprawling over 500 meters of Silvery Sandy beach, the camp is surrounded by thick forests and mountains. The camp is located 27 kms from Rishikesh on the road to Deoprayag between Shivpuri and Byasi Village. The tents are deluxe with a twin/double bed. There is an attached bathroom having running water (The only camps in Rishikesh with attached bathrooms). Toilets, the typical dry pit ones are separately made.

Rafting Itinerary - Delhi-Rishikesh-Delhi (Fixed Departure) Next dates 30th OCT-2nd NOV

Day 01
Friday 30th October
Leave Delhi -11PM by 27 seater A/c Deluxe bus(A bottle of mineral water will be provided)
Arrival at the Camp. Welcome drink on arrival followed by breakfast. Briefing about the camp stay followed by chk in.
Lunch and camp orientation & briefing. Post lunch
we leave for our first encounter with the rapids at the Ganges,The first session includes the stretch from Marine Drive
to Shivpuri covering thrilling rapids like 'Black Money',
'Three Blind Mice', 'Crossfire', 'Body Surfing', and 'The Shivpuri' rapids. in camp activities such as Rock Climbing,
Rappelling, Beach Volleyball, Beach Cricket, Kayaking etc.
Return to the camp by bus.In the evening laze over a Bonfire or try your hand at fun games followed by a sumptuous dinner specially
prepared by our Chef. Tuck into your Deluxe Tents at The Camp 5 Elements.

Day 02 Saturday

Wake up early to enjoy a refreshing Nature Walk with our guide. After a hearty breakfast change into our rafting gear
and proceed for rafting on the river Ganges for the second round of rafting, the second stretch of Rafting will be
from Shivpuri to NIM beach.
Return to the Camp and go for lunch.

Post Lunch -
in camp activities such as Rock Climbing,
Rappelling, Beach Volleyball, Beach Cricket, Kayaking etc.
Evening Tea/coffee with cookies
Evening bon fire with cocktail snacks and a game of antakshri among participants

Day 03 2nd November, Monday

Breakfast & after breakfast 1100 Hrs Departure from the camp. Lunch on the way back. Evening tea with cookies.
Reach back Delhi

The best male and female participant of the trip will be given a special prize.
All participants will be given a parting gift.

Cost Per Person
Rs 6000/- inclusive of transfers Delhi-Rishikesh-Delhi (Deluxe bus/Innova/Tempo Traveller), Stay for 2nigths in deluxe camps, Meals as per itinerary, Two rafting trips.
Does not include- Personal/medical expense of any nature, Service tax (2.58% extra), anything not mentioned in the Package as above.
Contact Anand 0-9811193634/ Seema 0-9891458220/ EMAIL us for bookings and packages.

Other Rishikesh White Water Rafting options

Delhi-Khajuraho trip

2009-09-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Did a trip to Khajuraho last weekend from Delhi, as we were organizing a Conference cum Leisure trip for a Corporate for a group of about 60 people. Took the morning flight on Friday from IG domestic by Air India. It had rained a lot on Thursday in Delhi and the Cab driver of Easy Cabs was telling me that it took about 3 hours on Thurs to reach the Airport from Patel Nagar(normal time 1 hr). Well I alomost missed my flight because of traffic jams starting from Delhi Cantt till the Airport and probably got saved because the flight was late, I reached just about 25 mins before the scheduled departure. The flight was via Varanasi and it took about 2.5 hrs to reach Khajuraho. On reaching the small airport, the taxi from the hotel, Usha Bundela, was there to pick me up. The hotel is just 3 k from the Airport, infact all hotels( six in total) are all within 6 k, so it is very convenient. You can take an auto or even a rickshaw to reach the hotel..

Usha Bundela is 3 star hotel with 66 rooms, spread over 3 acres with lawns, swimming pool, restaurant, bar and off course the Conference Hall. The participants reached on their own from Agra, Jhansi etc and we headed for the main attraction of Khajuraho, the erotic temples divided in to East, South and the main-Western Temples. The temples are some thing to really seen to be believed, the beautiful sculpture and architecture doesn't look like to be hundreds of years old. All the temples are dedicated to a God and the out side walls depict statues in erotic art. The motifs signify how advanced the particular generation was regarding Kama and other man-woman relations, all the temples have carved figurines posing, dancing, admiring themselves in mirrors, combing their hair, gossiping and making love. Absolutely unusual poses that have made Khajuraho temples unique in style.The different poses leave little to imagination. The Western Temples are UNESCO nominated World Heritage site.
Next morning was dedicated to the Conference while I had a look at other hotels in the vicinity like Ramada, Clarks, Taj and Radisson. In the evening we visited the beautiful Raneh falls about 20 km from Khajuraho on river Ken, Famous for their seasonal waterfalls and rock formations, the attraction here is a five-km long, 100-ft deep canyon of crystalline granite in shades of pink, red and gray. Also closeby is the Panna Wildlife National Park(closed till 1st October) known for the Tiger, leopard, wolf, gharial, chinkara etc.

While coming back on Sunday, my Jet flight was cancelled due to the strike and I used the other way to travel between Delhi-Khajuraho, which was quiet convenient too. Took a taxi to Jhansi(about 3.5 hrs) and then the Shatabadi(there are lot of other trains too) which took 4.5 hrs to reach Delhi via Agra. There is also a direct train between Delhi-Khajuraho but runs only 3 times a week. Khajuraho cna also be part of an itinerary covering Agra, Gwalior, Orchha, Panna and Bandhavgarh. So, if you have done enough of the hill-station drive and want to be away from traffic and shops and people, you could take a short break at Khajuraho — a peaceful destination with, perhaps, the finest sculptures in the world.
R.Anand,
For planning your trip to Khajuraho call us at AroundDelhi.com, Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634 or email us @ arounddelhi(at)gmail.com.

Long Weekend Getaways around Delhi

2009-09-05T01:04:00.000-07:00

Just finished the long weekend for Independence and we are already approaching two more long weekends in Sep-Oct 09. First we have the Dusshera holiday on Monday 28th Sep and then the Gandhi Jayanti 2nd October falls on a Monday. Judging from the response to the last Independence Day weekend these two will again be a great hit with travellers. We had record hits on our website arounddelhi.com on this weekend and had to disappoint a lot of people due to non availability of rooms. Most of the places got sold out at least 15 days before the 15th August.

So, plan a weekend in advance this time and enjoy the long stint of holidays coming our way. Here are some of the options

Sariska-
Sariska Palace, 4 hrs drive from Delhi, a heritage property based in 100
acres right next to Sariska Tiger Sanctuary.

WillowBanks, Shimla, situated on the Mall Road, this beautiful hotel is
conveniently located on the Shimla Mall road and offers 4 star facilities.

Corbett, CorbettRiverView and Den Corbett. Corbett is just 6 hrs drive from Delhi and all year round
destination plus a great place to watch the wildlife. Also available are
convenient 2/3/4 BR cottages.

Jaipur is fun with it's colourful bazaars, variety of cuisines and various old forts and
havelis. Stay at the KK Royal next to Amberfort or the Pride Amber Vilas, a new
resort in Jaipur based on a Rajasthani village, right opposite the Chokhi Dhani.

Situated near Shimla, Oakwood Shoghi is a great place for some adventure activities in natural surroundings

Ranikhetin Uttaranchal, Rosemounta beautiful heritage property near Nainital.

KassarJungle Resort, near Binsar,
the place to see the snow capped Himalayan peaks.

Sun n Snow, EcoLodge and Mountain Villa at Kausani.

Claridges Nabha is a lovely 4 star resort near Mussooire in beautiful and quiet surroundings.

HotelSilver Rock at Mussoorie on the Mall Road Mussoorie,

ResortCountry Club, Gurgaon,

Tree House near Bhiwadi, is about an hour's drive from Delhi and a beautiful place to enjoy with swimming pool, spa , tennis etc. and great food to boot.

For other options log on to www.AroundDelhi.com

For bookings nd queries call Seema @ 9891458220/ Anand 9811193634

R.Anand

Monsoon Getaways

2009-08-26T00:13:00.000-07:00

It seems that finally the Monsoons are here in Delhi and North India and non too soon you will agree. Monsoon is a great time to explore new places or spend time watching the rain or enjoying the cool breeze at places which are green and close to nature. It is great seeing Raindrops falling on your window or verandah or lawn or....
Around Delhi offers some great getaways where we feel you can enjoy the rains in green environs and yet not too far from Delhi.
What's more you enjoy great discounts and fablous monsoon offers from Around Delhi Holidays.
Sariska is a beautiful jungle area just about 3 hours from Gurgaon and it gets really green and clean due to the rains with wild life too enjoying the downpour after a parched summer. Stay at the Sariska Palace, a heritage property spread over 100 acres of mostly green lawns with not too big build up area.And who knows you might come across a Tiger on your visit to the Jungle Safari. Book Sariska Palace with us and get a gift voucher worth Rs 2000/- for your next booking at more than 20 hotels and resorts all over North India.

Another wild life place near Delhi is Bharatpur, the world famous Bird Sanctuary, 180k and just 3 hours from South Delhi,which is getting greener by the day and bird population of migratory birds too has started increasing. Stay at Kadam Kunj or Uday Villas and get a highly discounted package till 30th September 09.
Fort Unchagaon near Garh Mukteshwar is just 130k and surrounded by Mango orchards in a village setting very close to the River Ganges. Enjoy this stint of rural tourism in a heritage fort with excellent food and services. Fort Unchagaon also has a swimming pool now. All meals package for a couple starts at Rs 3600/-.
Kikar Lodge near Ropar and Chandigarh is a jungle property with world class facilities and accommodation in tents or cottages with a Spa thrown in. Go for a night safari in this very green surrounding about 5 hours drive from Delhi. Also avail of a 20% discount voucher for your next booking at preferred resorts.
Corbett in rains with it's flowing rivulets, growing rivers and increasing greens adds to the charm of the place. You can also go for rafting, walk in the rains and Jungle safari as one or two Jungle gates are still open. Plus you can enjoy your stay at lovely resorts with all modern facilities at reasonable rates. Choose from any of these resorts at Corbett.

And then of course you can head to the hills if you want to enjoy the beautiful & green mountains washed out by the falling rains. Click here for Hill options.
For more options log onto www.AroundDelhi.com or call Seema 9891458220/Anand9811193634.

R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Tree House Bhiwadi near Delhi

2009-07-30T21:35:00.002-07:00

Conducted a Conference for a Govt. body at The Tree House at Bhiwadi. A comparatively new property Tree House is hotel cum Club with excellent rooms and lot of open and green areas. It is only 70 km from Delhi and 40 from Gurgaon, less than an hour's drive. As you enter the place you are greeted by lovely landscaping and flowing fountains adding to the freshness of the place. The reception area reflects the good ambiance of the hotel and check in of the rooms were done professionaly by the Front office staff. The reception leads on to the courtyard area which again has flowing water in form of small fountains and also a place to sit out in the evening for meals etc. There are mainly two types of rooms Palm and Mapple, the Mapple being a little bigger and with LCD TVs and all. Even the Palm rooms are quiet good with central airconditining, card entry, wooden flooring, Tea-Coffee maker, hair dryer and all.

There is a multicuisine restaurant for meals and also a restro bar with a huge LCD perfect to watch a cricket match over drinks or your favourite flick. The food is just excellent with the chef being ex Taj, I think that is the biggest plus of this place. The other big plus is the variety of recreation the club provides with a lovely swimming pool, synthetic tennis courts, squash courts, an indoor badminton court, a pool table and a kids room for children. For relaxation there is also a spa with steam, sauna, Jacuzzi and massage facilities.

As an introductory offer we have a special package of Rs 4000/- for Palm Room and Rs 4500/- for the Mapple room with Bfast, lunch and dinner for couple and two children of 5 years. The Package also includes

Complimentary usage of all recreational facilities like:

Well laid out tennis courts (The option of playing under floodlights is possible at an extra charge)
Health Club, Steam and Sauna
Well stacked library
The refreshing Swimming Pool
The Billiards and Pool Room
The indoor Badminton Court
The Squash Court
The Kids Room

For bookings call Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634 at Around Delhi Holidays.
Other one nite options near Delhi.

R.Anand

Surya Vilas Solan Himachal

2009-07-19T02:23:00.000-07:00

Visited a new place near Solan, Himachal in last month of June-Surya Vilas. Started from Delhi at 6PM and stopped only once for refreshment and more at 9PM and reached Surya Vilas by 12 mn after travelling about 300k. The resort is just 90 mins drive from The road from Ambala to Zirakpur has really improved and the only bottleneck is the ongoing work at Panckula, crossing Panipat was a breeze with the new flyovers. On reaching Surya Vilas we were served piping hot dinner in the room thanks to the F& B manager, the food was really delicious specially so after the long drive.
The rooms are in form of cottages each having four rooms each with seperate entrance. The room size is huge with equally large bathrooms with their glass roofs giving you a view of the sky while bathing. The rooms are a/c as the resort is only 40 km from Kalka. The resort offers a lot of acitivities including a swimming pool overloojing the hills, the Thalgo spa offering stress busting treatments, pool table, table tennis etc. The a/c restaurant and bar keep you in great spirits and the food is excellent specially the confectionery part. The Buffet offers close to 50 items in Lunch or dinner. For moving about at the resort

you just have to call for the comfortable golf carts.
There is also a conference hall ( for which I had brought my clients to this place) for about 50 people with all necessary equipment. In the evening we had a quiet party in the lawns when the weather was just pefect for outdoors.
So if you want to plan a leisure trip to this luxurious place or go for a corporate work shop Surya Vilas is perfect venue for both.
More on Surya Vilas/Surya Vilas Packages
For queries contact us at Around Delhi 9891458220/9811193634 or email us at arounddelhi@gmail.com

More Snaps of Surya Vilas
R.Anand

Delhi-Mussoorie trip

2009-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

Headed to Mussoorie on 10th July night accompanying a group of about 45 people in two 27 seater A/c buses. Although the main route to Mussoorie is via Merrut,Khatauli,Muzaffarnagar,Roorke Dehradun and onto Mussoorie we had to take an alternative road as it was Saawan maas, the month when the Kanwadias travel to collect the Ganges water from Haridwar and take it back to their local Shiv temple on foot. So the main highway had been taken over by them so we took another route via Merrut, Mawana, Meerapur, Bijnaur,Najibabad, Haridwar, Dehradun onto Mussoorie, the route was longer by about 50 k but very less crowded and the route between Haridwar and Najibabad is through Rajaji forest area and a wonderful one.
The weather had cooled down as we started our climb to Mussoorie from Dehradun and soon we engulfed in mist and clouds all around. Must say this natural a/c is much better than the artificial one. We were staying at the Fort Resorts Mussoorie, about 1 k from the Mall road and easily approachable by own vehicle although you walk up another 100m from the parking area. The breakfast was ready and inviting specially after the ovenite journey and the milk shake and fresh fruits were just yummy. The rooms at Fort Resorts, Mussoorie are either new or even the old ones have been fully renovated with wooden flooring, LCD TV, shower cubicles, mini bar, tea-coffee maker and what have you. The view of the Doon Valley from the huge terrace was eye catching and got better in the evening and night.
The walk to the Mussoorie Mall was refreshing because of the fine weather and fine ladies out in all their glory and make up. A bonus was a chance meeting with Mr Ruskin Bond, the famous author at one of the book stores. I got one of his novels signed for my elder son who is being taught his stories at School. I must say the greenery around Mussoorie has improved in the last few years after the ban on construction in the area. The cable car ride to the Gun Hill gives you some wonderful view of the forest and the valley, the cloud cover prevented the view of the snow capped peaks.
In the evening we organised an evening party for the client on the open terrace overlooking the valley with some foot tapping being played by the DJ and some juicy snacks being served with the drinks. Some interesting games were also organised to keep the guests entertained. The fantastic evening ended with a sumptuous dinner.
Next morning after breakfast we headed to Kempty falls after breakfast. The falls are about 15 km from Mussoorie and favorite with the crowd visiting. Here also one can take a cable car to down and come up. The water and the dip is really refreshing and cool though it became quiet crowded as time went by. Soon it was time to leave, we had our lunch at Dehradun and then on to Delhi by the same route.
Around Mussoorie one can also visit Dhanolti, Chamba and Kanatal.
Snaps of Fort Resorts Mussoorie. Other Mussoorie Hotels

For organising your trip to Mussoorie contact us at Around Delhi Holidays Pvt Ltd. Call Seema @ 9891458220 / Anand @ 9811193634
R.Anand

Delhi-Corbett Trip to Den Resorts

2009-06-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

Organized a group trip to Corbett from 11th June night onwards for about 90 people from Rashi Peripheral for their annual meet. The travel was arranged in A/c deluxe buses from Delhi and we left at 11 PM from Delhi for The Den at Kumeria Reserve,Corbett. We reached early at 7AM in the morning, the resort is about 29 km from Ramnagar. The resort is the oldest resort in Corbett in dense forest area and a stand alone with no other resort or even other houses etc closeby. It is situated on the banks of River Kosi though at a little height and one can climb down to the river. The accommodation is in Cottage form and all the rooms have been recently renovated and are air conditioned. Some of the cottages have TV and mini fridge also. There are more than 100 Mango trees in the Resort and the trees were full of Mangoes a this time, very tempting to pick these raw mangoes. The USP of the place is it's location. The first full day was spent in the conference in the A/c hall and in the evening the group had light refreshments. Though it was quiet in the afternoon but it rained quiet heavily with hail stones post lunch with turning the weather to a very pleasant one. We slept early as we had a wake up call at 4 AM next day to go for morning Jungle Safari.

Next day we were out of the resort by 5 AM to travel to Bijrani Gate for Jungle Safari. We hired about 15 four wheel jeeps with 6 people in each. We saw a lot of deer-spotted, barking and sambhar, birds like woodpecker, magpie, hornbill etc. The best spotting was first of a herd of elephants and then a wild tusker with huge tusks which we saw at very close range and followed for at least 15 minutes in the jungle. It was a treat to watch as the male was probably in heat and looking for a partner. Corbett has many gates of entry for Jungle Safari like Bijrani, Jhirna and Durga Devi and Dhangarhi for Dhikala. One has to take a permit for Jungle entry and it is allowed in the morning or afternoon. The Dhikala entry is only for residents or for full day Canter Safari.
Post Lunch we trekked down to a flowing stream in the mountain for some adventure activities. Three activities were arranged rock climbing, rappelling and river crossing. The people were very enthusiastic and almost everybody participated. In the evening we arranged a DJ party in the lawns where people enjoyed some snacks, drinks and music and danced the blues away. Checked out early next day and had lunch on the way at Meriton, Gajraula reaching Delhi by 2PM
Contact us at Around Delhi Holidays Pvt. Ltd. for you Corbett bookings for individuals or groups and get some great deals. Call us at 09891458220/09811193634.
More Corbett Resorts. Another blog on Corbett.
R.Anand

Summer Hill Destinations of North India

2009-05-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

The Heat is On...
Remember that Beverly Hills Song by Glen Frey-The Heat is on. The song holds true for the plains of India in May and June.It's Summer time once again and the plains are going to be hot,

very hot in fact.

So Around Delhi gives you some cool getaways to hill stations of North India. I am sure you will not mind sitting on the side of a stream or lake under a beautiful pine tree and laze around at 20 degress. Be it that you are looking for regular hiil places like Shimla, Nainital, Mussoorie, Manali etc we have hotels and resorts that fit to all pockets and cater to all tastes. Looking for a regular or an off beat hill
station- go no further as we have plethora of different places available like

Shimla - Willow Banks on the Mall

Around Shimla- Kufri,

Kasauli,
Chail,
Shilon Bagh,
Camping near Chail

Nainital

Near Nainital - Binsar
Ranikhet,

Bhimtal,
Naukuchiatal,
Kausani

Mussoorie- HotelSilver Rock, ClaridgesNabha
MoreOptions

Near Mussoorie - Chamba- Uttaranchal,
Kanatal,
Camping near Kanatal/Dhanolti..

Dalhousie Hotels Resorts Cottages

Dharamshala Hotels Resorts Cottages

We also have Cottages available at Ranikhet, Kasauli,Ramgarh,Chail, and Manali.
Service Apartments at Mussoorie

Camping facilities available at Tehri,
Mukteshwar, Saattal, Chail, Kanatal(contact for details)

Call Seema
9891458220 or Anand 9811193634 for queries & bookings.

Email-contact@arounddelhi.com

We also arrange for

conferences, training programmes, leisure trips etc.

Whirlwind tour of Shimla-Kasauli

2009-04-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Did a whirlwind tour of Shimla and Kasauli this weekend. Took a morning Shatabdi on Sunday, 7:40 am from NDLS(got up late by 45 mins but still managed to reach on time, thanks to Metro). The train was fully booked but got quiet empty at Chandigarh. Reached Kalka by 12 noon and took an Indigo for travelling to Shimla by road. I think this is the best way to cover this region as it is comfortable and time saving. After a small stop we reached Shimla by 3:15 PM. I had gone to Shimla for some meetings with the hoteliers and I was staying at Hotel Willow Banks, an excellent deluxe hotel on the Mall Road.

I got down at the lift and took it to reach the Mall(charges Rs 7), it is an easy way to reach the Mall from the Cart Road, takes just 1 minute. The weather was just fine and must have been about 25 degrees, a blessing after the searing heat of plains at 40 deg+. Had a nice lunch at the Hotel and checked into the newly done premium rooms. These premium rooms at Willow Banks are just too good. They are huge in size, wooden flooring with balcony. The rooms have a fridge, TV, tea-coffe maker, wifi connectivity, electronic safes and lots more. The bathrooms have tubs along with 24 hours running water supply(hot and cold). The hotel has central heating during winters. The adjoining terrace is huge and give a wonderful view of the Valley and Shimla town and can be used for evening sitout and parties etc.

Terrace with a a view, Willow Banks on the Mall, Shimla

Premium Rooms, Willow Banks
(Click here for more pics of Willow Banks)

Being a Sunday, the Mall was crowded in the evening, though not overtly so. Shimla though being a little commercial, still is enjoyable as there is no traffic is allowed on the Mall. There is also a mix of old World charm with the new modern culture. The walk down the Mall road from Clarks in the eastern end to finish at the western end, about 3 km is leisurely and comfortable and you may sit down at various benches provided for rest. On the way you pass various shops, vendors, Gaiety Theater, Scandal Point- a popular hang out point, Indian Coffee House etc. You can also stop for some coffee, light snacks or a cool Softie(ice cream cone) to enjoy the walk. You may also buy some great looking and smelling fruits down the Mall. I will never get bored walking down the Mall road of Shimla. The evening also became quiet cool and woolens had to be taken out.

Next day left early from Shimla, the driver had parked the vehicle at the High Court Parking which is just 5 minutes walk from the Hotel. Started for Kasauli and reached in 2 hours time. Kasauli never seems to change(probably the Cantonment Board does not let it change, good for the town). Although few new resorts have come up near Kasauli, but no new construction is allowed in main town. Checked out a new resort called- Hills Pride. It is about 5 km from Kasauli town and slightly on the lower altitude(you need A/c during peak Summer in some of the rooms). Still it is a nice place with a beautiful lawn almost surrounding the whole building, one can sit out in the evening to enjoy a nice drink and meal.
Also checked on some two bed room apartments next to Kasauli Resorts, about 2 k from the main town. It is basically like a home away form home with a complete house to live in with a wonderful view from the balcony and some nice green terrace and lawns to sit out. The Apartment offers two bedrooms, a living rooms, attached baths with each room, a fully equipped kitchen and a balcony and attached lawns. Every one dreams of owning a house in the hills, and living here you will feel your dream is being fulfilled, although for a small period.
Reached in time at Kalka to catch the Evening Shatabdi, 5:40 PM, to reach Delhi at 9:50 PM. You are served evening tea with snacks and dinner on the train itself. So thanks to Metro, Shatabadi and my driver for two days, Tinku I could make this business trip( with leisure as a bonus) in restricted time.

For arranging your trip to Shimla, Kasauli and other stations in the area like Chail, Parwanoo, Kufri etc you can call us at Around Delhi Holidays- me at 9811193634 or Semma at 09891458220. Or you can log onto our website Shimla Resorts or AroundDelhi.
Bye for now
R.Anand

Training Programme at Resort Country Club, Gurgaon

2009-03-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 6th March'09 did a training programme for top executives of a comparatively new Mobile service provider. Resort Country Club is situated just beyond Manesar, and it falls in District Gurgaon only. It is about 5 km from the main NH8, the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. I could easily reach the resort from west Delhi in about one hour flat starting early morning. The resort is spread in a total of 12 acres with another 40 acres of green lawns with golf course nearby. The resort is surrounded by green fields and the resort itself is quiet green with a lot of trees, flowering plants etc.
The uniqueness of the resort is also in it’s location, it is not too far from Delhi and can be easily reached in less than one hour from Delhi and Guragaon, yet far enough from the city crowds and away from the busy NH 8 and offers vast open and green areas with a lot of shade giving trees. For recreation the place has a swimming
pool, lawn tennis courts, badminton courts, cricket, croquet, korf ball etc. For small children there is a sand pit area with slides, toy train, rides etc. There is also a 6 hole mini Golf course and a spa with massage facilities. Resort Country Club, Gurgaon is ideal for doing a conference or a training programme and also for short weekend getaways for the families or young couples. One can also come and enjoy the facilities and lots of organised games in a group.
The resort also has a pond and along with the greenery and trees attracts a lot of birds and one can hear the cacophony of their chatter through the day and more so in the evenings. The birds I saw on this trip were lots of peacocks, Hoopoe, Treepie, red vented Bulbul, rose ringed parakeets, jungle Babbler and more.

So next time you plan something and do not want to travel too far you can try out the Resort Country Club Gurgaon.
The family package for a couple and children below 6 yrs including all meals and evening snacks and drinks starts at Rs 7600 +taxes for weekdays and Rs 8000 + taxes for weekends.
For other options around Delhi log onto our website www.AroundDelhi.com or call Seema @ 9891458220 or Anand @ 9811193634.

Tigers in Sariska

2009-03-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

Hi,
The total strength of Tigers in Sariska went upto 3 with one more Tigress introduced from Ranthambhore Wild Life Sanctuary. So it makes it one tiger and two tigress. So people can look forward to have more frequent sightings in the future. The next best thing that can happen to Sariska is giving of birth to young ones by either of the Tigress.
Good wishes for the Tigers for that and Happy sighting to the visitors.

More about the Tiger shifting in the below links.
For bookings at Sariska, call us at Around Delhi 9891458220/9811193634

News article in Hindu
Article in TOI

Dr Anand

Delhi-Manali-trip

2009-02-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

Planned a trip to Manali last Nov(’08). Started early morning on Thursday to avoid the city rush. By 7 AM we had crossed the bypass
to NH1 and followed it till Chandigarh via Panipat and Karnal. Further route Route-Ropar-Kiratpur-Gharmora-Swarghat-Bilaspur-Mandi-Kullu-Manali. The journey took us about 13 hrs with about 3 stoppages, we had two people driving so that helped. The total distance covered 556 km, out of which about 225 was in the hills. We were staying at the Highland Park Manali , which was right next to the river Beas with beautiful views of the river and the valley. The resort had beautiful cottage style deluxe centrally heated accommodation and provided value for money. We took a Luxuria suite which had the bed room with a living room, a living room with a balcony and a garden. We had an excellent dinner in the restaurant and retired for the day to sleep away our tiredness.
Next day after early bfast we first went to Hidimaba Temple, The temple is dedicated to Hadimba, wife of Bhima from Mahabharata. No idol is enshrined and only a foot-print on a stone is kept within. Manu Temple and the Vashisht temple are also worth a visit. Vashisht is know for Hot Sulphur Water Spring and temple of Lord Vashist. Back at the hotel in the evening we warmed to a bon fire over some
drinks and light music.

Next day we were off to Rohtang pass, about 50 KM from Manali,which is a high mountain pass at 4000m, that connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahul and Spiti valleys of Himachal Pradesh. It has become a very popular summer spot for tourist as one can find snow here even in peak summers. It was freezing cold and the weather can be quiet unpredicatable here, so we were forewarned that we should leave at first hint of bad weather. We enjoyed some fun and frolic in the snow followed by some hot tea at a local joint and soon started back for Manali. On the way back we went to Solang Valley known for skiing and paragliding. Next morning we said good bye to this beautiful resort and hill station of Himachal and headed back to Delhi.
Where to stay at Manali

Dr. R.Anand, Around Delhi

Earth Hour 2009 by WWF - Sign up for Earth Hour!

Uttaranchal-Trip-Naukuchiatal-Nanital-Kausani-Binsar

2009-02-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

Recently did a trip to Uttaranchal covering Nainital, Naukuchiatal, Binsar and Kausani. We knew it would be a hectic trip as we had limited days in which we wanted to cover a lot of destinations as we had some overseas guests traveling with us who wanted to see it all. Beautiful landscapes, lovely lakes, excellent weather and some very nice resorts, the trip had all this and more(details as below).
We started early morning on Thursday at 6Am and crossed Delhi by 6 AM onto Hapur via Gajiabad. Highway till Hapur bypass (NH 24) is one way with great roads.
The road from Hapur bypass till Moradabad is mostly under construction and the stretches which are ready and excellent, but some stretches are very cumbersome. Stopped at Gajraula(Meriton) for breakfast(9AM) it is about 110 k from Delhi. (Route to Nainital) After Moradabad bypass we did not go towards Rampur, Haldwani but went towards Ramnagar
Corbett by taking a U turn. Took a right turn for Naintal(clearly marked)via Bazpur, Tanda and Kaladhungi. The road goes though a forest area near Kaaldhungi with Yamuna flowing on the right, it is a picturesque road with a wonderful drive and road. This route decreases the total distance to Nainital by 40 km. We reached Nainital via Sukhatal and went straight to Hotel Naini Retreat(previously Claridges). The hotel overlooks the lake and is a heritage property. The specialty of Naini Retreat is it's location, ambiance and food. We had a Garden view room which gave us a wonderful view. After a delicious lunch we went to the Nainital lake in the hotel's vehicle which dropped us near the Mosque. The lake is a walking distance from there and so is the Mall Road. After boating and some shopping we returned to the hotel by calling a vehicle form the hotel. In the evening we had some drinks in the lawns around a bon fire and listening to some nice old Hindi songs by a guitarist.
Next day we travelled about 30k to Naukuchiatal Lake Resort via Bhimtal, both lakes in the area. Naukuchiatal is a nine cornered lake and a beautiful one, it is much cleaner and less crowded than Nainital. Lake Resort Naukuchiatal is situated on the opposite side of the lake in the jungle with all lake facing rooms. The place is best to observe nature, go for long leisure walks and some boating on the lake. The serenity of the lake is something to look forward to and it really calms your senses.
Day 3 -Travelled 3 hours to Kausani via Kainchi and Almora. Staying at Sun-n-snow Kausani, a small but nice hotel, and by far the best available in Kausani. Kausani is a quiet place with some breathtaking views of the snow capped
peaks. The hill station is situated at a height of 1900 m and is surrounded by tea plantations and fruit orchards. Kausani is famous for it's Anasakti Ashram where the Mahatama stayed for some time in 1929.
Day 4- Travelled about 90 mins to Binsar, another of those quiet hill stations in the region. Stayed at Kassar Jungle Resort, named after a local Devi and located on Almora-Binsar road away from the main highway in the jungle area. Binsar is famous for the Binsar Wild Life Sactuary and Binsar Mahadev temple and of course the views of the peaks like Nanda Devi, Trishul, Nanda Devi and Kedarnath. It is difficult to decide which is more beautiful between Binsar and Kausani, but I think the greater height of Binsar gives it the slight edge. Had a visit to the Sanctuary and though we could not much animals, we were told that Leopard and other animals are sighted especially in the evenings. One can also have a Picnic lunch at Kosi river a little away form the resort. The resort also arranges for Adventure activities at a little distance like rock climbing, rappelling, river crossing etc.
Day 5- Started back to Delhi via Bhimtal, Moradabad and it took us about 8 hrs of driving + two breaks.

All in all it was a wonderful Hill Holiday which was quiet close to nature, relaxing and with some wonderful photo opportunity moments.

To arrange your trip to Uttaranchal you can call Around Delhi Holidays at 09891458220/09811193634

R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Snow fall at most hill stations in North India

2009-02-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

After a long dry spell this winter when most hill stations went without snow it snowed quiet heavily in hill stations of Kufri, Mussoorie, Chamba, Nainital, Kanatal and Shimla. The hills and trees in these hill stations were covered with a white blanket of snow giving a beautiful look. So if you are planning to take a break this weekend these places will make for a ideal weekend getaway. Below are some links with more details.

Snowfall at Shimla, Kufri,Narkanda

End of Dry spell at Shimla

Mussoorie, Nainital receive season's first snowfall
Dr R.Anand, Around Delhi

Picnic at Botanics Damdama

2009-02-03T05:12:00.000-08:00

Another corporate party near Damdama lake in Haryana, this time we did it at Botanics Nature Resort, the place I mentioned in my previous blog. The
place is based in 40 and most of it is lawns, gardens and full of flowering plants.The 40 acre global green park offers series of theme gardens and the marvels of nature. Park is built with the combined knowledge and inputs from experts of organizations like Samak Landscaping, WWF India and Haryana Tourism. The place provides options for a day picnic, day conference around Delhi or an overnite programme in it's cottages or luxury tents. The place is just half an hour drive
from Gurgaon and easily accessible from Delhi too. The place is a dream child of an horticulturist and what one sees is a result of a passion about nature and real hard work. The group was given a guided nature walk displaying the magnificent `Colors of Nature' in the breath taking series of gardens like Fragrance Garden, Herbs & Spices Gardens, Butterfly Park, and Rose Garden and many more. There is provision toplay various games along with the swimming pool and also the adventure activity area where one can do various activites like Jumping from Hurdle Wall Climbing Machaan, Balance Walk, Crossing Burma Bridge, Spider's Web etc.
We were served an excellent lunch and the sheer beauty and greenery surrounding us made it taste even better. For nature lovers the place is heaven with sighting of lot of birtds too in winter. The place also arranges for other activities like Zorbing, Dirt biking ATVs and Paint ball. For staying there are luxurious tents with attached toilets or the cottages.Only group bookings are done for minimum 5 rooms.So next time you plan to do some thing near Delhi either for the day or overnite contact Seema 09891458220 or Anand 09811193634 at Around Delhi.

More Picnic Options near Delhi

Dr Anand, Around Delhi

Trip to Bharatpur-Fatehpur Sikri-Taj, Agra

2009-01-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

17th Jan 09 7AM Started from Gurgaon for Bharatpur accompanying a group of 175 people including children. We had hired five 35 seaters deluxe buses and some guests were travelling on their own. It was a corporate family leisure outing which is a yearly affair and our company Around Delhi was doing it for the third time for them. The route taken-Gurgaon-Sohna-Palwal-Kosi-Mathura-Bharatpur. The road was clear though a little bumpy, but we reached Palwal from Hero Honda Chowk, Gurgaon in 90 mins.
10:00-11:20 AM Bfast at Country Inn, Kosi. A nice resort with lot of open green areas and the bfast was wonderful with good choice.
1:30 PM Reached Kadamb Kunj where the lunch for the whole group was arranged. We were staying at both Kadamb Kunj and Uday Villas as we needed about 65 rooms.
3:30 PM After lunch and check ins we proceeded to the Bhartapur Bird Sanctuary for a visit, Keoladeo National Park welcomes birds from all over the World during the winter months and this attracts tourists from around the Globe to see them. After taking the tickets for the guests and the buses we entered the park and parked at the second barrier in the park, the place from the wet lands start and the real birding is possible. One can either hire a rickshaw or a bicycle to visit the sanctuary, a few battery operated vans are also available. Remember to carry your binoculars and a bird book, if you have one. The rickshaw pullers are trained guides and can help you in identifying the avian population. There is a lot of water this time after a long gap and even boating is possible in the park. The various species seen were painted storks, egrets, sarus crane, black headed ibis, kingfisher, Indian and purple moore hen etc.
7:30-10:30 Evening party with tambola and cocktails with bon fire.

18th Jan 09 9:30 Am After breakfast headed to Fatehpur Sikri, which was just 15 km away. The stretch between Bharatpur and Agra is being four laned with work going on at many places, but is much better than before and hopefully work will be completed soon. At Sikri, like Taj Mahal, one has to park one's vehicle about one km away and take a battery operated van to reach. Fatehpur Sikri, a World Heritage site came into existence when Mughal Emperor Akbar wanted to make Fatehpur Sikri his headquarters. So he built this majestic fort. But due to shortage of water he had to ultimately move his headquarters to Agra Fort. One of the main attractions here are the Buland Darwaza, Dargarh of Salim Chisti and various Mahals of Mughal Emperor Akbar and his navratnas. Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is famed as one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India. Situated near Zenana Rauza and facing south towards Buland Darwaza, it enshrines the burial place of the Sufi saint who lived a religious life here. The mausoleum, constructed by Akbar as a mark of his respect for the Sufi saint, was built during the years 1580 and 1581.

11:30 PM moved to Agra for seeing the Taj. The road after reaching Agra was really crowded and it took a lot of time in the city, it's high time the city roads in Agra improve to at least national standards. We again took the battery vans to reach the Taj. Even after having seen Taj so may times before, it's sight never fails to satisfy one's senses. Being a Sunday, it was quiet crowded and the frisking at the entrance took us a lot of time to enter. After the visit to the Taj, we had our lunch at the Haveli restaurant on the Fatehabad road. The food and arrangements were simply amazing and very well handled. Soon it was time to head back to Delhi and we reached back Guragaon at 10 PM having started at 5 PM from Agra. Though the tour was a very hectic one, the guests had their money's worth having seen and enjoyed so much in such a short time.
Dr. Anand,
AroundDelhi.com

Weekend Getaways Around Delhi: Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

2009-01-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

Weekend Getaways Around Delhi: Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

Fort Unchagaon, Heritage Hotel in a Village setup

2009-01-15T03:02:00.000-08:00

Some time back I had visited a nice and a different kind of hotel close to Delhi. The place was Fort Unchagaon, about 130 k from Delhi near Garh near the Moradabad Highway. This 19th century fort was made by ancestors of Raja Surendra Pal Singh, the present owner. The drive to the place takes you through a village road for about 10 k along the irrigation canal after heading on the NH24 for about 100k. The ride was a little bumpy in the last few km. The hotel offers two kinds of rooms Fort house and the Collector court, fort house being the bigger rooms in the main building, while the Collector court rooms are smaller in size.

We were greeted by a huge doorway and some very green lawns before entering the Fort House building. We were given a room in the Fort House itself which was really big in size though not a very luxurious one. The room had a living room and a bedroom with nice heritage feel and look. There are also rooms in the annexe, called the Collector's court. These rooms are smaller in size but still quiet good. We had a nice sumptuous and delicious lunch which was like home cooked food with a nice variety of dishes. For recreation there is a newly built Swimming Pool, badminton,TT, cricket etc. There is no TV in the rooms but a common TV with a dish is available.
After lunch we went for a horse ride after choosing a horse from the Fort house stable and went for a village tour. We saw some real country side with mango orchards, village style living and saw pottery making and jaggery(gud)making. We even tried our hands at pottery making which did not turn out to be that easy. We also went till the Ganges and enjoyed some boat ride by local boatsman, though we did not see any dolphins but we were told that they were some times seen in this area.

In the evening we had some tea in the lush green lawns and played some table tennis. There was a small cultural programme in the evening with bon fire, which we enjoyed with some drinks. Overall the stay was quiet comfortable with very hospitable and trained staff and some nice food and peaceful surroundings.

Click Here for Fort Unchagaon Pictures

For booking call Seema 9891458220/Anand 9811193634
R.Anand,
Around Delhi

Timbertrail Parwanoo Snaps

2009-01-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

Details of Timbertail, Parwanoo, Himachal

CORBETT RIVER VIEW SNAPS

2009-01-12T05:37:00.000-08:00

Back to Around Delhi Corbett Page

Sariska Palace Snaps

2009-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Back to Sariska Page at AroundDelhi.com